Riding the Grief Roller Coaster

In my most recent Zoom call with Grief & Loss Coaches, the theme was “ride the roller coaster.” As I know from personal experience and the experiences of my coaching clients, the emotions following grief and loss can be up and down. It can be a short, intense time, or a long slow pull up the tracks only to barrel down into tears before you hit the next curve. Dealing with the range of emotions in the wake of grief and loss is normal, and cannot be rushed. Everyone handles it differently, and the ride may take a while.

But you don’t have to go it alone. There is hope, and there are many avenues for support.

Grief Counseling, Grief Coaching & Grief Support Groups: What’s Appropriate for Me?

Our society doesn’t always allow us to grieve losses, even fairly big ones, but they are everywhere.

I support Grief & Loss Coaching clients while they confront their sorrow, in their way and on their time frame. I help them:

• explore with words, tears or anger – what they are feeling on the inside
• help to accept that grief will be a part of life – that is always with them
• recognize there is no time limit on mourning
• focus on self-awareness to re-engage in life and work with the balance and support best suited for them
• consider a coaching call as a safe place to share memories, discuss illness and death, and ride the roller coaster
• discover what matters most during this grieving journey – each week it may be something else
• have clients teach me what it is like for them
• process the grief, loneliness, and sadness – it is not to be “fixed,” but accepted
• discuss questions like: “who do you put on a show for,” “where are you showing courage,” and other relevant themes

Between COVID, the rapid growth and abuse of AI, the political climate in our country, and the civil unrest in many parts of the world, these are unprecedented times. We are all coping with major changes in our lives. Helping clients through grief and loss became an area of focus for my life coaching practice because everyone experiences it. The common thread was the surprise many clients felt at their own sadness, disorientation, lack of motivation, and the “stuck” energy that made personal goals feel out of reach.

Having help, and someone to ride the rollercoaster together with, could be just what you need.

Grief therapy is for people who have problems with thought patterns, emotional difficulties, or ingrained behavioral problems due to past or recent wounds, trauma, or a chemical imbalance that affects the way they see the world. If you are experiencing stress caused by your lifestyle choices, a coach can help you best. If you have anxiety caused by emotions and thoughts that emerge from how you see and interpret the world, a grief therapist will be a better choice for you.

Grief support groups offer a sense of community and support that can be encouraging, and are typically the least expensive choice. Depending on the type of loss you have suffered, you may or may not be able to find a grief support group focused on exactly the type of help you need, with the type of personalities that feel supportive to you.

When is Grief Coaching Best?

Grief coaches like me are trained to shift clients’ actions to help them grow through loss. Coaching benefits people who are getting by, but want to thrive.

• Grief coaches concentrate on the future. They’re more likely to ask clients “How do you want to feel after loss?”
• Grief coaching is centered around helping you set and achieve goals related to your grief journey. Together, we may choose to focus on personal growth, resilience, motivation, or visualizing and creating your new life after loss.
• As a coach, I work collaboratively with my clients, providing support, motivation, and strategies for moving forward.
• Grief coaching is suitable for individuals who are seeking guidance on building a new life after loss, making decisions about the future, or focusing on personal development within the context of grief.
• Coaching sessions may be more flexible in terms of duration and frequency, depending on the individual’s needs and goals.
• Grief coaches do not have to navigate country or state barriers to practice their discipline, and can comfortably coach via the phone, as I do.
• Helping people move through transitions of all kinds, including grief and loss, is nothing new for me as a coach.

I’m Listening

As a Washington, D.C.-based life coach specializing in grief and loss, I am interested in listening to your story. I too have navigated loss, and have come to understand grief as a normal part of the human experience. Sometimes, losses are ignored, swept under the rug, not discussed, or go unrecognized. Our culture encourages us to move on, be productive, and to get over it. But processing loss and sitting with the feelings is just as important, if not more so.

Reaching out for help and summoning the resources available to you is the first step towards doing just that.

Over the years, clients have come to me with losses that include:

• Physical loss of someone they love due to death, a geographic move, or changing jobs
• Loss of a child in an accident
• Loss of contact with a friend or family member
• The death of a pet
• The loss of a job
• Loss of control over some aspect of their lives
• Chronic illness, or chronic illness of someone they love
• Loss of confidence, security, goals, or a life plan
• Personal physical losses due to illness or the natural aging process
• Climate-related grief
• Grief related to racial injustice

Click Here to Schedule a Complimentary Coaching Call With Me at a time convenient for you if you are in the midst of a transition and recognize the need for support, compassion, and being heard.

Outcomes of grief and loss coaching *may* include:

• Learning to work with your grief instead of against it
• Building a relationship, setting goals, making changes, building on what works for you
• Increased freedom and a better sense of personal identity
• Access to a non-judgemental space and powerful questions that allow you to find your own answers.

Are you interested in working with me as your coach? Use my Appointment Scheduler and pick a time that works for you for a complimentary, no-obligations life coaching phone consultation. Although many look for a grief coach near me, I’ve found it makes the best use of everyone’s time to schedule appointments online and conduct them over the phone. This means I am a grief coach based in Washington, DC, and serving the world. I look forward to hearing from you.